40 plymouth dash cluster questions

[12bolt tom]

Guy's ,

Working on my 40 plymouth and the dash cluster is really messed up.

Here are a couple of questions.

1. What other years will fit into the dash? 39, 41?

2. Will other models of fit and from what years? Dodge, chrysler ect.

3. can anyone supply a good pic of the original 40 cluster? Have a extra? Thanks Tom

[Andydodge]

As far as I am aware, each of the 4 Chrysler makes had their own unique sheetmetal dash and instrument cluster that fitted into the various holes, it would be possible to swap the WHOLE dashboard say from Dodge to Plymouth without much hassle tho' you may have to lengthen/shorten some wires etc due to the individual location of the new guages.....I have an Australian 1940 Dodge Sedan with a RHD Dodge dash & instrument cluster but my car is like all Oz built Dodges based on a 1940 Plymouth and I have seen a 40 plymouth without its dash and the internal body structure is the same as my Doodge........also if you were not overly concerned about originality I/m pretty certain that a complete dash from any mopar up to & including 1948 would fit, ie, the complete dash incl instruments unbolted from the donor should basically fit into your car.........trust this helps........Andyd

[1940plymouth]

Here is an older photo of the dash of my '40

I got new glass from Scott Young, plus the gauges are available at times on ebay or thru the normal Mopar vendors.

My dash isn't the same woodgraining as original, we redid it with a darker color and woodgraining, as the dash was really faded

Personally I would keep the stock dash, as I like it, but then again that is my opinion.

How about posting some photos of your '40, sure would enjoy seeing another one

[Young Ed]

Tom I've got an extra P15 dash or 2 if you make trips up to the twin cities ever. Is your 1940 dash wrecked?

[12bolt tom]

Mine looks pretty bad.

Do you have 40's up in Minn? Tom

[Young Ed]

I could ask around. There was a guy with a 40 around the faribault area. I think it was barely a step above parts car. No one I know off the top of my head has one though.

[12bolt tom]

Thnks, that would be great. Can tell now, need all the help I can get.

[RobertKB]

Mine looks pretty bad.

I don't think it looks that bad from the picture. Missing some parts and maybe the gauges are not good but the metal dash looks OK. Keep a look out on ebay and check out some swapmeets and you will eventually find what you need. Pictures show my '38 Chrysler dash before and after. Dash shell was OK but it needed new gauges and speedo as the glass lenses were broken out and everything suffered damage. It took lots of cleanup, woodgraining, a bit of chrome work, etc. to get it looking decent. I certainly would not want to put a dash in from a different year let alone a different make of car.

[Cpt.Fred]

i don't think it's that bad, either.

mine looks like this, everything works fine, and i like what the years have done to it. (the speedo has now been restored mechanically, everything else has remained the same and only got cleaned)

[12bolt tom]

Cpt Fred

Tankyou for the nice pic's, that is what I needed. Hope that is a 40?

Maybe , the question was worded wrong.

Need to know if any other year, make or model will exchange dash clusters/ guages? Not the entire dash. Tom

[Rodney Bullock]

I think you are missing some parts. The center or block off plate. Are you planing on using a radio? Do you have the ash tray. There is also a grill in front of the speaker box. These are the things you are missing. You cluster is in tact. I went back and looked at your pic's the center is all you are missing. If you want to have the cluster restored, it is silk screening. I had someone do it long long ago. It's on the glass. Not to expensive. As I remember it did not take long as by the time I was ready for it it was ready. The disc for the speed O is another story. The 1940 Plymouth is all it's own no other year looks like it.

Edited January 5, 2010 by Rodney Bullock

[12bolt tom]

Rodney,

Thanks, yes, would like to find the parts that are missing.

Ashtray

speaker grille

radio

good speedo/ guage set.

I can certainly retore the metal dash. Hard part for me is finding the missing parts. Tom

[Cpt.Fred]

yep, that's a 40! glad that helped. the silk screened speedo and gauge glasses turn up on ebay quite regulary. i let the the crack in there on purpose.

i guess it's hard to find trim parts and some small stuff, i am missing the station buttons and speaker for my radio set, the cigar lighter (so does everyone...?)

and a few bacelite knobs (lights, choke, wiper) that crumbled from heat and age...

3 more:

stay away from parts like "nos" window cranks from the bay, except you get good close ups,all i got was junk with bad castings and horrible fit...

good luck and keep us updated!

Edited January 6, 2010 by Cpt.Fred

[Cpt.Fred]

oh, another thing: the ring rodney mentioned...

as you can see it came off and fell to the bottom of the gauges' frame.

it is attached to a small clear plastic disc that bent in the sun. i tried to reshape it but it broke, so i had the speedo shipped to a special shop in munich and they built me a new disc and hub from scratch. it wasn't expensive, though.

i guess it's a lot easier over there;)

and: great car you're having, just went back and looked at your photos again.

[michael.warshaw]

i need some interior parts for a similar car, anyone selling anything for a 40?

[1940plymouth]

Tom,

Scott Young advertises in the "Plymouth Bulletin" for dash glass for the 1940 Plymouths. He is where I got mine about 16 years ago or so. I have the radio delete blank if you are interested. Also there is a George Shumway that use to reproduce the dash knobs for the '40 Plymouth, in fact he is where I got mine, again along time ago.. The radio delete blank that I have was in my car when I bought it. I found an old radio for the Plymouth at a flea market for a dollar just below Cortland,NY in 1991. Radio still don't work, but looks good in the dash.

There is a trick to take the speed indicator off of the speedometer, but it can be done, as I did it today with mine.

Hope this helps,

Bob

[Rodney Bullock]

I found the ring for the speedo in Culpeper virginia. There was a 1940 bus. coupe there at the time. This is the same car I found the center grill part for my car. The dash was intact in the car. I had a friend of mine with me.It was the summer and I was afraid to get in the car and lye down on the floor to get this cluster out.

Aj. my friend had just came up the hill from pulling an regulator out of a 1962 chevy. He looked at me and asked what was wrong:rolleyes:I told him I was trying to get the cluster out and he started laughing. He laid a big rug down and unscrewed the cluster. The ring had fell off. I took the glass out and put the ring in a box I cradled that thing all the way home and then sent it to John Wolf. He repaired my speedo and then grafted that ring on the speedo. It was like taking a kidney from one person and sending it to the Mayo clinic. I paid alot for the cluster as the guy knew it was rare. He called me a week later and said he was going to crush the coupe so we went back down there and took eveythying off we could.

You have a good car however it is very rare in these parts.

[Rodney Bullock]

The window crank knobs in a 1940 are very unique as they turn a certain way. No other year has it. I found them at carlise. The guy at herchey wanted 40.00 dollars a peice. At carlise they were 5.00 a pair. I got all of them.